Do we need big EV batteries? That’s an interesting question Autopian posed the other day. Or are we so obsessed with bigger and better, that we purchase battery capacity we do not need? The answer depends on our personal situation, and how we plan to use our EV.
Counter Revolution Against Big Batteries in China
There’s resistance to purchasing bigger batteries than necessary in China, from what we gather on the news. Although, a lack of charging stations in rural areas may discourage this trend. The up-front purchase price could also be the clincher, once owners understand how to manage battery range with lower storage capacity.
Attitudes are changing in China, as the economy there evolves. Perhaps opinions could do so nearer home, where the average driving distance might be a mere 37 miles per day. If we are commuters, why purchase a 140 kilowatt-hour EV battery, when a 100 kilowatt hour range or smaller would suffice?
Perhaps we should ask a broader question than ‘do we need big EV batteries’. Decades ago an automobile was little more than a box on four wheels most times. But now we have become more affluent, we demand far better than that. We expect air conditioning, infotainment and more.
Should Global Warming Affect Our Decision?
If we believe that our planet is warming because of pollution from industry, then we ought to scale back our personal requirements. Battery manufacture is contributing to that pollution too, although ironically, batteries are also part of the solution.
The EV battery that you choose for yourself should meet your needs. One of those expectations is reducing charging time on your journey. That situation is improving rapidly, with some pundits predicting high-speed charging times as short as five minutes.
The average gasoline car driving range is between 300 to 500 miles. EV batteries are fast catching up with that target. If we could do 500 miles on a smaller EV battery (this could happen sooner than we think), would we still need bigger EV batteries? Only you and we can answer that question.
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Doubling Electric Vehicle Battery Range
